


Free Flyers

by CrystalHopeDragon



Series: The Tennyson Family [1]
Category: Ben 10, ben 10 Omniverse
Genre: Ben's necrofriggian babies - Freeform, Hinted Rook/Ben if you stretch, No Actual Slash, mama Ben
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 11:10:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10017191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystalHopeDragon/pseuds/CrystalHopeDragon
Summary: Rook had been on a lot of missions in his short time in the plumbers, but really? Who with a sound mind thought it was a good idea to send Benjamin Tennyson anywhere near necrofriggian babies? And why, for that matter. Surely it would be better to have someone else escort them to safety then two people who specialized in volatile criminals.





	

Over the course of his career Rook Blonco had been assigned many bizarre and baffling missions, usually revolving around either some volatile criminal, a natural disaster, or an emergency rescue. In situations of extreme peril he and his precious partner had a tendency to excel, especially when not in an area where property damage was a major detractor from mission success. So missions in dangerous locations, bizarre situations, or places others normally could not handle were to be expected. Their current mission however was a tad...peculiar to send Benjamin Tennyson anywhere near.

It was fairly mundane, for starters. Anyone could do it as this particular escort mission did not require someone of the escorted's species, just someone with basic knowledge on how to guide them. As such, the Omnitrix was not needed, even if it did make it far easier. It could be done with nothing more than a regular spaceship and a frost containment facility. Why would they use he and Ben, who were better assets to send to more dangerous situations, on such an easy assignment?

Second, sending Ben into an environment where he was expected to not only be careful but also...motherly? It was a bit worrying that they were being volunteered for it by Magister Tennyson without even a warning comment. No worry about the delicate nature of those they were escorting or anything.

Not to mention the existence of this mission in this particular star system was quite confusing. This species usually had its children near whatever star they called home, so in situations of emergency they could return to guide their young to safety. Why then were they being assigned to guard them instead of their parents, and why would this species have made a home on Earth in the first place? The environment wasn't exactly perfectly suitable for them on most of the planet, and none were known to inhabit the more suitable planets in their system either. It would make sense to be this far away from normal habitations for their species as to avoid predators, but wouldn't they be on one of the more comfortable planets for their temperature preference then?

"Ben, why exactly have we been assigned to guide baby necrofriggian's back to the Sun's orbit?" 

Ben let out a long suffered sigh and glared out the window. "Because the little demons won't stay near it, that's why. They have a curiosity streak going and refuse to stay safe. Grandpa says it runs in the genes." He grumbles. 

"My apologies, let me reiterate. Why have WE been assigned this mission? This isn't exactly your area of expertise." Rook responded with a sideways glance as he continued to drive.

"Actually, it is. You'd be surprised how many different areas I have skills in." Ben said brightly, his voice containing his usual air of arrogance even though he was fidgeting slightly in his seat. That was bizarre, and something Rook noticed immediately. Ben was shifting in his seat and tapping his finger on the dash, behaviors usually reserved for boredom or nervousness. They had been in the vehicle for less than 5 minutes so surely he wasn't bored yet, he even had his games on him. Why though would he be nervous? Rook was becoming slightly worried by the strange behavior, especially when Ben held a steady silence after that comment.

"How so? Do you have experience with baby necrofriggian's?" He decided to break it with, seeing as Ben had refrained from doing so.

"Just these ones, I'm the only one ever assigned to escort them." He said as he continued to stare out the window, purposely keeping his face directed away from Rook, avoiding his inquisitive eyes. 

"For what purpose? Surely an adult necrofriggian isn't actually required for this mission."

"Nah, that's only part of it. Grandpa just sends me up here every time cause he says I need to spend more time with my kids. O look, we're here!" He says brightly and transforms into Big Chill right as he finishes, phasing out of the ship and leaving a flabbergasted Rook in his wake. Rook quickly follows after in the ship, lost in a variety of thoughts and preparing his response. He has more than enough questions, but refrains from broadcasting them over the ships intercom so as not to disturb the children.

He watches carefully as Ben approaches the fourteen children. They dart right towards him, huddling near the usually absent parent for hugs and affection. Rook knows that it's not an issue as necrofriggians commonly leave their young alone for most of their childhood to grow and change on their own, but can't help but feel a twinge of anger at the though of his partner leaving them alone so often. He will have to drag him up here for visits more commonly, as the children seem to be quite enjoying this one. They would probably act out and explore less if given more of the attention they seem to be craving. 

Not to mention the fact that Ben seems quite happy as well, fluttering around with them and listening intently to their chatter, far more than he usually does to anyone else. He does this all while carefully heading back towards the sun, and with it their natural food source. Rook is actually quite amazed at how good Ben seems to be with the children, even if it is only for a short while. He is still behaving with his usual energy and flair but is using it to keep them corralled and moving, and his stories keep the kids entertained and following. He even shows some rare patience when gathering up the stragglers, keeping the smallest of the group held close to his chest. Once at the sun (a trip that, with the average speed of a baby necrofriggian, did take a couple of hours from their original location) Ben led them all to the nearest source of solar plasma, said his goodbyes, left them to eat and returned to the ship. Changing back he looked straight at Rook and started with, "Sooo...any questions?"

Rook took a moment before, "I had always wondered why even though you lack any specific knowledge in a variety of fields revolving around your daily life and job -whether that be information on weapons or environmental hazards- you seemed to have put so much effort into studying your alien counterparts, knowing not only their abilities and weaknesses but also their natural predators and mating habits. I'm assuming this might have something to do with it?" He finished up his well thought out answer with.

"Ehehe, just a bit?" He grinned a bit sheepishly before saying, "I found out at 15 that necrofriggians reproduce asexually every 80 years or so, when the Omnitrix forced me to follow the cycle. Afterwards I went to Azimuth and made him fix that so it didn't happen with any other aliens, and studied the species just in case it did. I needed to know them anyway since I have this," he gestured to the Omnitrix, "and my daily dangers to deal with, so I guess it was just an extra push." The answer was logical, impressively so considering who it was coming from. Ben obviously put a lot of thought into it, and Rook was quite proud at that realization. Still...

"So, how does it feel to be Mother Ben?" Rook finally said with a grin of his own, getting a groan and push from Ben.

"Not you too! Kevin never lets me live it down, and I can feel grandpa grinning every time he sends me out here." 

Rook just laughed, enjoying the playful banter they usually have. He couldn't resist the teasing, knowing Ben would react to it. He was going to continue when he realized something. "Children are usually listed in a plumbers file, and magister Tennyson obviously knows they are yours. Why then does your file not list them?" 

"Safety reasons." Ben says as he glances fondly back towards the shrinking forms of his children in the distance. "Most of my family can protect themselves pretty well from an enemy attack, but them? They put themselves in enough danger just roaming around, don't need anyone outside knowing about them and targeting them over me. It's just safer if they don't have my name attached to them until they're older. No one knows they're mine but grandpa, Gwen, Kevin, and now you." He says with another fond smile, this one directed at Rook himself though.

"You trust me that much?" Rook says in suprise. They had only been partners for a couple months at this point, and Ben had been quite adamant at the beginning that he didn't even want Rook around. This trust may have been building, but such a blatant expression of it was still surprising. 

"You are my partner, right? You kinda need to know this, especially since someone has to drive the spaceship for these missions. I can't drag grandpa out of the base every time Moon Dancer convinces the others to go exploring." He said with a grin.

"It really does run in the genes. Trouble, that is." Rook comes back with, enjoying Ben's increasing grin.

"And you all love us for it."

"Yes, yes we do. Though I have to ask, Moon Dancer? Really?"

Ben shrugs. "Gotta watch her, she earned it. She literally got them all to Earth's moon the first time they wandered off, and was flittering all around it, just dancing on her first piece of ground. They all earned their names at some point during that day, but hers wasn't hard to place." He seemed so pleased with the memory, proud of his curious little cubs. Rook quite enjoyed that look, and decided to keep it going.

"Fair enough. So, care to elaborate on the others?" Rook responds, settling in for one of Ben's usual tirades. This one he was quite looking forward to.


End file.
